Bury Tomorrow + Crossfaith + Black Peaks + Any Given Day @ o2 Institute, 14th April, 2017
We sent Arianna and Chris to find out what the opening night of the Bury Tomorrow tour would offer. Having four acts each of whom are great bands in one evening is definitely not something that happens often, however tonight was one of those occasions.
Kick started by Any Given Day, a metalcore band from Germany, the audience began getting in the mood for the rest of the night.
Next up are Black Peaks from Brighton who have a good sound, strong vocals and some definite fans in the audience. They certainly succeeded in bringing the energy up and having the crowd wanting more.
By the time Crossfaith‘s Tatsuya starts a drum solo as part of check before their set, the crowd is ready to erupt. Cheers ring out as he twirls his sticks around and the heavy beat reverberates.
A count starts down from 10… 9… 8… a circle has already opened in the crowd and when the band burst on stage, with Kenta Koie bearing a red flag with the ‘Crossfaith’ logo, the crowd begin to move in unison to ‘Xeno’ with electric energy. Their unique sound combining metal, electronic and dance music with the addition of keyboards and samples makes their gig an exciting party with everyone jumping and swaying to a thumping rhythm section.
Amman does not miss a beat on his drums and Isegawa is pumping the bass and leaping round the stage. The band all have tons of energy, feeding off each other and playing firm favourites ‘Devil’s Party’, ‘Monolith’ and not forgetting their impressive cover of Prodigy’s ‘Omen’ which has the whole room bouncing. The circle pit was constant during the set and the crowd are truly pumped and raring to go for the head liners of the night.
The stage has gone dark, sirens begin to sound, blue lights pulse and a heartbeat starts with the beeping of a monitor. Strobe lights flicker and then on the next beat the stage lights up and the crowd go wild. Everyone surges towards to the front and every arm is in the air moving in unison.
Birmingham is the first night of Bury Tomorrow’s UK tour for their album ‘Earthbound’. Daniel Winter-Bates confidently screams and shouts, leaping around the stage, jumping as if he were on a trampoline and keeping the energy high; he is a perfect front-man for the quintet.
Formed in 2006 and having played Birmingham many times before, Southampton’s Bury Tomorrow clearly have a solid fan base who sing along constantly and hang on Winter-Bates’ every word. JC’s melodic vocals blend well alongside Jackson’s crashing drums and the heavy guitars, though occasionally his voice ends up a little lost. The audience is in the palm of their hands and they certainly do not disappoint, playing many tracks from their newest album including ‘The Eternal’, ‘Last Light’, ‘The Burden’ and ‘301’ but they are also pleasing with some old favourites such as ‘An Honourable Reign’. The strobes are a feature throughout and heavy back lighting often makes silhouettes of the band.
Despite the deep screams and heavy metal sound, Bury Tomorrow’s show was light-hearted and fun. Winter-Bates has a great relationship with their fans; it’s well known that they do not agree with bands charging for ‘VIP’ packages and they vowed to shake hands and high five anyone. They come across as likeable people who are grateful to their fans and where they are now.
There’s almost a sense of family in the room and an awful lot of crowd surfing! The movement in the room is relentless as bodies move together guided by the guys on the stage. Winter-Bates has everyone with their arm around their neighbour (including security) and the fans are certainly are not ready to call it a night when the last song of the set, the title-track ‘Earthbound’, ends.
Chants of ‘one more song’ ring out across the room and the heartbeat starts up again, feeling like it is shared by every pulsing body. An alarm sounds and the room erupts once more to ‘Man on Fire’ and the night is ended with the ever-popular ‘Lionheart’. There’s not a face that isn’t smiling for what has been a thoroughly fun and energetic night; exactly what a gig should be.
Reviewer: Arianna Piani
Photographer: Chris Bowley